Chapter 6

Volume 2 Start 6 Contents 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Examples 6.3 Labelling 6.4 Behaviour 6.5 Safety 6.6 Floating packages 6.7 Sunken packages 6.8 Ashore packages 6.9 Sunken craft 6.10 Chemical warfare
 

6.2        Examples of packagings and containers

6.2.1          General

A great variety of packagings are used for transportation of dangerous goods, e.g. sacks, boxes, carboys, drums, jerricans and steel cylinders. These types of small packages are usually stowed in freight containers. Portable tanks, road and rail vehicles, freight containers, large packagings (LP:s) intermediate bulk containers (IBC:s) and nuclear fuel flasks are also regarded as packagings in this context.

6.2.2.1            Small and intermediate size packagings

Salvage drums
The IMDG Code, 2000 Edition, 1.2.1 Definitions, states the following:

"Salvage packagings means special packagings conforming to the applicable provisions of this Code into which damaged, defective or leaking dangerous goods packages, or dangerous goods that have spilled or leaked are placed, for the purpose of transport, recovery or disposal".

A salvage drum is always larger than the inner package allowing the latter to be placed inside the salvage drum for safe shipment to a disposal or treatment facility.

The construction material of the salvage drum must be compatible with the substance in the inner package. Salvage drums are usually made of steel or polyethylene.

Salvage drums must pass, at a minimum, standard UN performance requirements and shall be marked with the appropriate UN approval (cf. Figure 6 - 5).
 

Picture source: Environment Canada

Picture source: UltraTech International, Inc.

Figure 6 - 3

Figure 6 - 4

 

Figure 6 - 5 (right)

Example of type approval marking for a removable head steel salvage drum
(cf. also Sections 4.8.3 and 6.1.2).
 
Meaning of marking codes in Figure 6 - 5 (starting from top left):
The United Nations packaging symbol.
1 Type of packaging (1 = drum).
A Type of packaging material (A = steel).
2 Removable head
Y Tested for packing groups II and III

300

Leakproofness hydraulic test pressure, kPa

S

Intended for the transport of solids or inner packagings or, for packagings (other than combination packagings) intended to contain liquids, the hydraulic test pressure which the packaging was shown to withstand in kPa, rounded down to the nearest 10 kPa.

94

 Year of packaging manufacture

USA

The State authorizing the allocation of the mark, indicated by the distinguishing sign for motor vehicles in international traffic.

abc

The name of the manufacturer or other identification of the packaging specified by the competent authority.
 

The terms “salvage packagings” and “salvage drums” are more and more being reserved for approved packagings for transportation of leaking or damaged dangerous goods, while other terms like “overpacks”, “overdrums”, “cover drums” and “recovery drums” are used for cover packagings which are intended for undamaged dangerous goods and which therefore do not need to be approved as salvage packagings.

Steel and plastic drums
 Drums for hazardous materials range from 15 to 250 litres and are generally made of steel, plastic or fibre. They are most often stowed in freight containers where they sometimes are carried on pallets. Smaller drums are most often placed on pallets wrapped in polyethylene sheets. Around 80 or 160 large drums (~ 200 litres) can be stowed in a 20-foot resp. 40-foot box container.

The traditional steel drums are very common as containers for both chemicals and petroleum products. Two main types are used: With tight heads (non-removable heads) for liquids and with open heads (removable heads) for solids. The heads on the latter type are fastened by locking rings. This type has often also a plastic bag as an inner packaging.

Figure 6 - 6

Common characteristics
of steel drums

External
volume
(litres)

 
Tare
(kg)

Volume of
contents
(litres)

225

15-20

200-210

120

12-15

110

60

4-6

55

30

2.5-4

27

 

 
Picture source: Van Leer Sweden

 


 Picture source: Van Leer Sweden
Figure 6 - 7   Tight head or non-removable head drums for liquids
 		   Figure 6 - 8   Open head or removable head drums for solid
Drums are most often carried in dry freight containers where a 20-foot container can take between 78 and 82 pieces of 225 litre-drums. Drums may also be stowed and strapped on loading pallets and wrapped in polyethylene sheets. An empty loading pallet weighs between 7 and 10 kg.
 

Drums as well as many other types of packagings are now often made of plastics. Also plastic drums are manufactured in the two forms: With tight heads (non-removable heads) for liquids and with open heads (removable heads) for solids.

Figure 6 - 9 (down)


Picture source: Hazardous Cargo Bulletin

Figure 6 - 10  Drums and other types of plastic packagings for dangerous goods

Common characteristics
of plastic drums

External
volume
(litres)

 
Tare
(kg)

Volume of contents
(litres)

No. of drums
per pallet

215-225

8-10.5

200

4

125-130

3.5-4.5

120

5

65-68

2-3.5

60

8

32-33

1-1.6

30

12

 

Fibre drums
 Normal sizes of fibre drums are 60-220 litres. They are only manufactured with open heads (removable heads) for solids. They are either made of kraft liner throughout or kraft liner reinforced by layers of plastics and/or aluminium. The kraft liner layer can also be treated with paraffin wax or silicone. Heads and bottoms of fibre drums may also be reinforced by steel rings.
 

Examples of fibre drums.

Picture source: Hannels Industrier, Sweden

 

Picture source:  Van Leer, Sweden

Figure 6 - 11

 

Figure 6 - 12

Fibre drums are their mechanical strength in contact with seawater – already after one hour as regards those made of kraft liner throughout. Reinforced fibre drums keep watertight but also lose their strength after some time in seawater. This should be observed during response actions as fibre drums may easily rupture when handled by pick-up devices.
 
Large packagings, LP (in the 2001 IMDG Code)

An LP consists of an outer packaging with contents of either articles or smaller packagings. It exceeds 400 kg net mass or 450 litres capacity but have a volume of not more than three cubic metres. The LP approval encompasses the outer packaging together with its contents as an integrated unit. Examples of use: Objects with explosives, clinical waste, etc.

Figure 6 - 13 shows an example of a Large Packaging LP made of plywood (1.4 x 1.1 x 1.4 m) approved for explosives on an inner specialized pallet.


Picture source: Peter Blomgren, SP, Sweden

Figure 6 - 13

 

Intermediate Bulk Containers, IBC
 Approved containers for transport of chemicals of sizes between normal drums and freight containers.


Picture source: Hazardous Cargo Bulletin

IBC sizes
 1-3 m3,  1-3 tons
 

IBC construction materials
 Metals (steel, aluminium etc)
Plastics, composites
Wood, wooden materials
Textiles, Paper

 

 Figure 6 - 14

 An IBC
made of textile

 

 

 

Picture source:  Van Leer, Sweden

 

Picture source: Bison Containers, Norway

Figure 6 - 15
An IBC made of plastic

 

Figure 6 - 16
An IBC made of metal

 

6.2.3          Sea freight containers
 

Standard dry freight containers and tank containers are often used for transport of chemicals and dangerous goods at land, at sea and on inland waterways. They are internationally standardised. Standard dry freight containers and are normally 20 feet or 40 feet in length and tank containers are 20 feet. Figure 6 - 18 from a tank container manufacturer illustrates that a tank container can hold more liquid than a dry freight container of the same size stowed with drums.


Picture source: Sea Containers Services Ltd.
Figure 6 - 17   A tank container can take 43 % more liquid than a dry freight container of the same external dimension.

 

Common types of sea freight 20' and 40' containers
 

Dry freight
containers

Standard
containers

For general purpose/normal cargo

 

High cube
containers

Specifically for light, voluminous cargo or those of excessive height (up to 2.67 m)

 

Hardtop
containers

With removable steel roof; For heavy lifts, cargo of excessive height, or loading from above or door end

 

Open top
containers

With removable tarpaulin for loading of cargo of excessive height from above or door end

 

Flat racks

For heavy lifts and excessively wide cargo
Can be positioned side by side for non-containerisable cargo

 

Platforms

For heavy lifts and extra large cargo
Can be positioned side by side for non-containerisable cargo

 

Ventilated
containers

For cargo requiring ventilation

 

Insulated
containers

For sensitive cargo requiring constant temperature
Temperature control via the ship's refrigeration plant, terminal refrigeration plant or a "clip-on" refrigeration unit

 

Reefer
containers

For cargo requiring a constant (low or high) temperature
With integrated refrigeration or heating unit

 

Bulk
containers

For loose/bulk cargo

Figure 6 - 18

 

Approximate data for general-purpose dry freight containers

 

Dimensions

Cubic
capacity

Maximum
payload

 

Length

Width

Height

20’ (20-foot)

6 m

2.4 m

2.4 m

33 cbm

22 tons
40’ (40-foot) 12 m 2.4 m 2.4 m 67 cbm 27 tons

Figure 6 - 19

Tank containers
 Tank containers are used for transport of liquids or gases. They are constructed with two basic components - the tank itself and the outer framework. Weight, volume and construction details of a tank container vary considerably due to the properties of the transported substance.

IMO define 5 different types of tank containers where the following two types are significant for chemicals:

IMO 1 tanks for the highly flammable, toxic and corrosive liquids.

IMO 2 tanks for medium hazard products such as flammable liquids, herbicides, resins and insecticides.